Fallen
by kokoro62
Summary: The Republicans have been developing a secret weapon to use against the Imperials. Its name is ZOH-001. They soon find out, however, that 001 is not to be messed with especially when his overprotective organoid finally breaks free.
1. ZOH001 Escapes

_**Disclaimer: **__I do not own zoids. The only zoid that I own is the GenoBreaker…which is currently being used as my background image ^-^_

_**Disclaimer2: **__The zoid that ZOH-001 uses does NOT belong to me. The zoid belongs to __**ShadowRebirth37 **__who has kindly let me borrow the zoid for my fic. You'll find out who the zoid is later on._

_**Summary:**_ The Republicans have been developing a secret weapon to use against the Imperials. If it's successful it will turn the tide of the war in their favor. But to use it, they'll have to keep the Imperials at bay for at least two more years. Its name is ZOH-001. However, the Republicans soon learn that ZOH-001 is not to be messed with, especially when his overprotective organoid finally breaks free.

_**Author's Note: **_The story starts seven years before Chaotic Century. There will be some canon but twisted to fit my needs. So yes that means that you will see the main characters of the show at some point and time.

_**Story Guide:**_

"talking"

'_thoughts'_

/organoid speech\

Emphasis

"**ancient zoidian"**

***********************************************

"Captain Herman sir! We're very glad to have you visit our research facility!" a Republican soldier says as he salutes to Herman.

"It's good to visit you guys again. I only wish I could come out here more often instead of just checking up on its progress."

"Please sir, don't say such things!"

"Fine, fine. I'm guessing that Dr. D isn't here yet?"

"No sir. We received a transmission from him about five minuets ago. He should be here within the next twenty or so minuets."

"Knowing that lunatic, he'll be here in ten minuets parachuting outta something."

That statement caused the surrounding soldiers to burst out laughing. For they all knew that it was true and he'd more than likely do it. Last time he had to come to this facility he arrived via a modified jeep. Who knew that attaching Command Wolf boosters to a jeep would make it go so fast? He said that he was out running the Imperial army on the way to the facility. But how in the world did he find the time to attach them if he was on the run? Many believed that he just wanted to try it out because the parts were just laying around. It's a shame that the boosters didn't survive his chaotic driving.

"Alright men, we'll wait for Dr. D to arrive before we go over ZOH-001's progress report."

"Sir!"

With that said the soldiers dispersed leaving Herman and O'Connell to dwell on said experiment.

"Captain Herman sir…will 001 really give us the upper hand against the Imperials?"

"If its progress continues like this, then those Imperials are going to be pushed back to their borders…no, back to their capital. If ZOH-001's progress keeps this up over the next six months then this war is as good as ours. If what Dr. D says is true then 001 is basically equivalent to twenty battalions of our Shield Ligers [1], maybe even more."

"T-Twenty battalions!? But it's only one unit!" O'Connell nearly yelled astounded.

"Yes. It's a very dangerous experiment. There's a very good possibility that we'll have to destroy it after this war."

"Destroy it? But what if the war restarted? And if it's that dangerous then how are we going to control it in the first place?"

"If this forsaken war restarted after we had gotten rid of it and peace reigned for a few years, well then, we'll just have to make due. It's not like we'll be able to create another one. And as for controlling it, that's what the other half of our meeting's for."

The two soon found themselves at the briefing room. They entered and continued their talk until Dr. D arrived. From the looks of it…he really did parachute out of something. A Pteras most likely.

"Hey there boys! You guys should try this sometime! Hahaha!"

"He really is a lunatic." O'Connell muttered to Herman.

"Dr. D it's great to see you again as well. However, as much as we would all love to fall from the sky, we have important matters to discuss."

"Humph. Well you're no fun. Can't an old man have a good time without being told off?"

"*sigh* Dr. D, we really need to concentrate on ZOH-001. We have to go over its progress report, actually go and check up on it and figure out a way to keep it under control."

"You're such a stiff Herman. Be a little more light hearted and you'll find that it's easier to do things."

"Right. I'll keep that in mind. Alright now, to business. Dr. D if you would?"

"*ahem* According to the progress report his health is just fine. No rejection to the experiment at all so he'll live through it. Next to take into consideration is his growth as a pilot. Last time we were here, which was six months ago, I confirmed that his strength as a zoid pilot is equivalent to twenty-two battalions. That's two more than what we had estimated. Taking that information into consideration, when he is actually ready to be put on the battle field in six months time, his strength will be roughly the same as thirty-four, maybe thirty-five battalions."

Dr. D let the information sink in before he continued. He chuckled to himself as he watched all of the facial expressions as realization finally sunk in.

"Now, to continue on. This strength is without his organoid BKO-03. We have yet to test out his piloting strength when BKO is fused with his zoid. Who knows how much more powerful he'll become when BKO is with him!"

"That's it!" Herman suddenly exclaimed.

"What's it?" Both Dr. D and O'Connell asked.

"It's organoid. That's how we'll control it. As long as we keep it's organoid separated from it, it'll listen to our commands."

"I don't follow sir."

"As long as we have it's organoid it will have to listen to us…unless it wants the organoid to be hurt."

"So you plan to threaten him with his own organoid Herman?"

"If that's what it takes to win this war, then yes."

"And what, dare I ask, are you planning to do if he refuses?"

"It won't refuse. It's too close to the organoid to intentionally inflict harm on it. Besides, after the war we'll have no further use for it."

"No further… What do you plan to do with him after the war?"

"Dispose of it of course. It's already too dangerous as is and I can only imagine the destruction it'll cause if we just let it go."

"You talk about him like he's not even human! No wonder why he doesn't like you."

"Hate to break it to you Dr. D, but he isn't exactly human. It's an ancient zoidian."

"You could at least use 'he' and 'him' when you talk about him. He's still a living being, ancient zoidian or not. Instead of destroying him why don't you just let me take care of him? He seems to trust me somewhat, at least enough to say 'hello'."

"Is that what it says to you? We're lucky enough to get a head nod! And you think that it'll listen to you after the war? Sorry Dr. D, but it'll be for the best to just get rid of it."

"But he's an ancient zoidian! It's bad enough to have experimented on him!"

"There're others out there somewhere Dr. D. It isn't the only one. Now, enough of this talk, we have to go and actually check up on it ourselves." Herman said with disdain in his voice.

With that said Herman, O'Connell and the others involved proceeded to ZOH-001's 'room', leaving Dr. D fuming at his treatment.

'_The poor boy. He can't be any older than seven. When they told me that they wanted me to work with an ancient zoidian they had found I never expected this. As much as I tried to protest against experimenting on him I can't very well ignore an order from the President. Right now I can't really do anything for him. If I try to pull any strings they'll move him somewhere else and refuse to tell me where. The best I can do now is talk to him in the ancient zoidian language, though I don't know too much I hope I can get my point across and hopefully an answer.'_

Dr. D was brought out of his musings when he arrived at ZOH-001's room, if you could call it that. His 'room' was basically an isolation cell with a bed. Dr. D had yet to discover how he kept from going insane since the only contact he had were at meals and these checkups. Dr. D was not surprised to find that Herman and O'Connell had already gone in and were most likely telling him things that he didn't understand. Dr. D was pretty sure that 001 could understand their language perfectly, but liked to get on their nerves and refuse to answer back. Sighing, Dr. D braced himself to fix whatever mess Herman had caused, seeing that the ancient zoidian didn't really take to well to him. Opening the door, Dr. D felt him self experiencing déjà vu.

001 was sitting on his bed looking at Herman as if he was an idiot. Well…that's what Dr. D guessed anyways for, as usual, 001 had a sandy colored cloak covering his face. The only time Dr. D had actually seen the boy's face was when he first met him and the boy had asked for said cloak. 001 was currently wearing his favorite outfit consisting of medium brown colored pants and a loose light blue tunic and he was barefoot, like always. No matter how many times Dr. D tried, he just couldn't get the boy to wear shoes. He had also tried to find out the boy's name as well as his organoid's. He didn't like referring to them as ZOH-001 and BKO-03, and he had the sneaking suspicion that even if he could remember their names the military wouldn't use them.

Tuning back into Herman's 'talk' Dr. D caught the last of his sentence. "…understand?" One word…fantastic! Though Dr. D already knew what Herman had said to the boy. 'Do as we say or else your organoid suffers the consequences.'

001 just tilted his head slightly, possibly giving Herman a puzzled look.

"Argh! This is getting us nowhere! Dr. D can't you speak to it!?"

"Cool your jets Herman. Yelling at him isn't going to solve the problem. I'll do what I can."

'_This is just perfect! They won't have a clue as to what I'm telling him!'_

"Dahhk pdara."

"…Dahhk."

"Ukq oaai zksj."

"Ok skqhz ukq eb okiakja ywia wjz uahhaz wp ukq."

"Zkj'p ieja dei. Da'o whswua hega pdwp."

"Dwpabqh?"

"Pda swn dwo zkja pdeo pk dei. Araj E zkj'p hega dei hega pdeo. Xqp ajkqcd kb pdeo. E dwra eilknpwjp pdejco pk pwhg wxkqp."

"…Hega sdwp?"

"Pda iehepwnu lhwjo pk zaopnku ukq wbpan pda swn."

"X-Xqp sdu!? E dwraj'p zkja wjupdejc snkjc!"

"E gjks, E gjks. E'i pnuejc pk cap lanieooekj pk pwga yqopkzu kb ukq wbpan pda swn. Whh E jaaz eo ukqn wjosan."

"…E'hh xa bnaa? Jk ikna atlaneiajpo? Sdwp kb iu kncwjkez?"

"Uao. Jk, jk ikna atlaneiajpo. Wjz wo bkn ukqn kncwjkez, E'i oqna da skj'p hap ukq kqp kb deo oecdp aran wcwej."

"…"

"Sahh?"

"…E…E jaaz pk pdejg wxkqp ep. …E zkj'p swjp pk cap iu dklao ql…"

"Qjzanopwjzwxha. E'hh dwra w zabejepa sdaj E oaa ukq jatp."

001 just nodded his head slightly after their conversation. His mind was still trying to take in everything that was said. He'd definitely have to run this by his organoid.

"Kd uawd! Whikop bknckp! Daniwj swjpo pk qoa ukqn kncwjkez wcwejop ukq."

"…Wcwejop ia?"

"Uao. Wo w pdnawp. Ukq zkj'p heopaj, da'hh cap dqnp. Pdwp'o pdaen iawjo pk ykjpnkh ukq."

"…" He nodded again. This was definitely not good. His organoid isn't going to be happy to hear this.

The others in the room just stared at the two, quite baffled about the conversation. They couldn't understand anything past 'hello'. Did Dr. D relay to it what they wanted him to? The ancient zoidian did seem pretty anxious as the conversation wore on. And it did get quieter and quieter and only resorted to nodding its head at the end. It seems that Dr. D was able to get their point across.

"Well men, there's no point in staying here any longer. We've gone over the progress report and already found a way to control it. Dr. D just finished his checkup on it so I see no more reason to stay here."

With nods and chorus' of "Yes sir!" Herman, O'Connell, their men and Dr. D left 001's room. As soon as he was sure that they were gone he contacted his organoid, knowing full well that this 'talk' would fully enrage the great metallic creature.

~x~x~x~x~x~x – with 001 (before Herman came)

_/… Why the long face hatchling? \_

'…_I…I just wish that we could get outta here. All these experiments they're doing on us really hurt. I'm not even sure what they're doing to us exactly. Do you know?'_

_/…I wish I did hatchling. But do not fret. They've ignored me long enough so that I have finally managed to free myself a little. Give me another three hours and I'll be totally free and able to get you. Then we can rid ourselves of this place.\_

'_Really? Then I'll warn you if I sense them coming this way. I woulda thought that after they caught you the first time they'd have put up more security around you. …Or at least check on you everyday.'_

_/…They were, but it seems that right now they're more interested in you. It has given me time to loosen my bindings enough to free myself.\_

'_Glad I could be of help then.'_ 001 thought sarcastically.

_/…Now, now hatchling. We'll be outta here soon enough. Just be patient a little longer.\_

'_Okay. Huh?'_

_/…What is it? \_

'_It's those soldiers again. Seems that they're comin' to see me.'_

_/…See? You're being helpful again! \_

'_Shut up!'_ His organoid was laughing at him. He had fully distracted him from sensing where exactly the soldiers were in relation to his room. When he regained his senses he found that they were right outside his room and unlocking his door.

'_Now look what's happened!'_

_/…It's your fault. You weren't paying careful enough attention.\_

'_Che. Whatever. Ohhh can this possibly get any worse!?'_ 001 had just spotted Herman entering his room with O'Connell following shortly after. Two others also entered but he knew they were just guarding the door.

_/…Aren't you the lucky one? \_

'_Zip it! Don't you have bindings to undo?'_

_/…I can multitask. Talking to you and undoing these bindings are simple tasks.\_

Herman had started to talk to 001 as soon as the door had closed, but he wasn't listening to Herman. He was too busy arguing with his organoid to pay attention to Herman, though he did faintly hear the door being opened and closed again. 001 just caught Herman's last sentence.

"…understand?"

'_Understand? Understand what!?'_

_/…You see? You should have been paying close attention…\_ his organoid taunted.

'_You. You be quiet. I don't want him yelling at me again.'_

_/…I understand hatchling. I do not like it when he yells at you either…\_

"**Hello there."**

'_Wha? Oh it's the nice old man and he's speaking to me in the ancient zoidian tongue…'_

"…**Hello."**

"**You seem down."**

"**So would you if someone came and yelled at you."**

"**Don't mind him. He's always like that."**

"**Hateful?"**

"**The war has done this to him. Even I don't like him like this. But enough of this. I have important things to talk about."**

"…**Like what?"**

"**The military plans to destroy you after the war."**

"**B-But why!? I haven't done anything wrong!"**

"**I know, I know. I'm trying to get permission to take custody of you after the war. All I need is your answer."**

'_Custody of me? Does he mean like legal custody or military custody?'_

"…**I'll be free? No more experiments? What of my organoid?"**

"**Yes. No, no more experiments. And as for your organoid, I'm sure he won't let you out of his sight ever again."**

'_Legal custody then. But what will my organoid think? He seems nice enough, but we're both a little weary around people because of this. There's also the possibility that he won't get permission…'_

"**Well?"**

"…**I…I need to think about it. …I don't want to get my hopes up…"**

"**Understandable. I'll have a definite when I see you next."**

001 nodded his head, his mind still reeling.

'_I'll have to go over this with my organoid. He'll know what's for the best.'_

"**Oh yeah! Almost forgot! Herman wants to use your organoid against you."**

'_Huh? What does he mean by that?'_

"…**Against me?'**

"**Yes. As a threat. You don't listen, he'll get hurt. That's their means to control you."**

He nodded his head again.

'_That is definitely __not__ good. Well, I know the answer to my question about that custody thing. I'll still run it by him just to see what he thinks.'_

001 watched as all of the people in his room slowly filtered out. They were all heading to the right, the opposite way of his organoid. He couldn't help but smirk at his untimely good luck. As soon as their presence completely disappeared, 001 contacted his organoid.

'_How's it going?'_

_/…I take it that they left then? \_

'_Yeah…'_

_/…You seem even more depressed then earlier… What'd they say to you? \_

'_That old man…Dr. D was it? He needed to go over some important things with me.'_

_/…Oh? And what did he tell you? \_

'_That…that the military is going to use you to control me for their own purposes…'_

_/ What!? How dare they even __think__ that they can use you like some tool! \_

'_I'm not finished… He also said that after the war they're gonna…'_

_/…Going to what hatchling? \ _his organoid cooed softly. He could tell that his hatchling was very distressed about this. Whatever 'this' was it wasn't good.

'…_Destroy me…' _

His organoid was silent for a moment. Did he just hear correctly? These people are just going to throw his hatchling away after everything that they have done to him!? Not if he had a say in the matter.

_/…That's not going to happen hatchling… I will never let them harm you again…\_

His organoid was eerily calm making 001 feel oh so very slightly sorry for the people here.

'_As much as that sentiment comforts me 'never' is a strong word.'_

_/…True, but I just wanted to let you know that I'll protect you as best as I can…which will be much easier as soon as I get these bindings off me…\_

'_There was one other thing that he talked to me about…'_

_/…Which was? \_

'_He wanted to take legal custody of me after the war. I think he was doing what he could to help us after this ordeal…but he hadn't gotten permission yet…'_

_/…What did you tell him? \_

'_That I need time to think about it. As much as that sounds good…I'm still not very sure if I can trust him. His manners towards us may only be a ploy to gain our trust for military reasons…'_

_/…I understand your concerns hatchling... however; I do not think that he wants to harm us. But that doesn't mean that after we escape from here we can go with him. The Republicans will be searching for us frantically, so staying in one spot is out of the question…\_

'_Okay. I don't really want to stay in one spot anyways. Being confined in here day after day starts to take a toll on ya.'_

_/ I agree with that hatchling. Aha! Finally! I've gotten the bindings off me! \_

'_I thought you said it'd take three hours?'_

_/ When I'm talking to you yes, it would have, but when you were talking to those people I spent my time working on these bindings.\_

'_Well the sooner we're outta here the better. Are you coming to get me now?' _001 asked hopefully.

_/ Just wait a little while more. I don't want to draw attention to myself. I'm going to disconnect from you so I can concentrate. I'll be there shortly…\ _and with that his organoid left his mind.

001 just couldn't sit still. They were getting out of here. He could sense his organoid getting closer to him and there wasn't a single soldier anywhere near this area. By the time they noticed they were missing they would be long gone.

His attention suddenly focused on his door. His organoid was right outside his room trying to open his door without making too much noise. He heard it click. He was just a stones throw away from freedom and nothing was going to stop him from getting to his organoid. …Nothing except the alarm system that is, for as soon as the door started to open the alarm sounded. Wasting no more time his organoid quickly entered the room and stood before him. He could sense the soldiers getting closer…their little reunion would have to wait 'til later. Turning around so his back was facing his organoid, he closed his eyes and waited to feel the familiar cords wrap around him and pull him into the organoid. He heard his organoid's chest plates open and the familiar bindings pulling him in. He was safe. His organoid would be able to break right through the roof now and get them to safety.

The soldiers came too late. They saw 001's organoid turn to face them giving them a murderous glare. Many of the soldiers recoiled, fearing the worst. Their fears were for naught though, for the organoid pulled out his wings, changed into his energy form and blasted through the roof, showering the soldiers with plaster and dust.

"Don't let them escape! After them!" Herman yelled. The soldiers quickly left the room to get to their zoids to follow them. This was just terrible! What if the Imperials got a hold of it!? Their secret weapon that has taken nearly two years to develop has escaped!

The only one who wasn't troubled by this was Dr. D. He was looking through the whole that the organoid had made, secretly glad that they had managed to escape. He knew that the Republican army wouldn't be able to capture them again. They were both awake now, not in capsules and he had a feeling that they won't be found unless they wanted to be found. He also wasn't worried about the Imperials getting a hold of them. Now that 001 was with his organoid he'll be able to rely on BKO to sense when someone wants to cause harm to them.

"Good luck. Hopefully we'll meet again." With that sentiment in mind Dr. D left the room. The next place he was going was to the President to hand in his resignation and 'retire'. After being forced to experiment on an ancient zoidian he felt that his services were being misused. Just because he studied the ancient zoidians didn't mean that he held them in contempt! Chuckling slightly he wondered what type of reactions he would get when he announced that he was retiring…

***************************************

[1]: Just to clarify: in episode 12: _The Black Organoid_ Major Ford says that a whole battalion was destroyed and that battalion had 30 zoids in it. So here is where my logic takes over. 1 battalion = 30 zoids. So lets say 001 is equal to 30 battalions…no that's too much right now…okay then what about 10? Nah. Too low. Aha! I know lets compromise and say 20! So if a battalion is 30 zoids and he equals 20 then all together he's as strong as 600 Shield Ligers! (remember? Herman said Shield Ligers and yes there's a reason for that!)

_**Authors Note:**_Well what do you think so far? Yes I know I made Herman seem very mean but there has to be some sort of antagonist right? Without anything or anyone after our main characters it makes the story boring. And I've seen a lot of the Empire being the bad guys so why not the Republicans? I'm not saying I like either or but just wanted to try something different. I'm already working on the next chapter so hopefully it'll be up soon! Please Review!!


	2. Nonexsistent Memories

_**Disclaimer: **__I do not own Zoids. The only zoid that I own is the Genobreaker…who is still acting as my background image._

_**Disclaimer2:**__ The zoid that ZOH-001 uses does NOT belong to me. It belongs to __**ShadowRebirth37**__ who has kindly let me borrow the zoid for my fic._

_**Author's Note: **_In this chapter some new elements have been added for you to ponder about. They will be explained as the story progresses.

_**Story Guide**_

"Talking" _'Thoughts' /Organoid Speech\_

{Zoid Speech} Emphasis **"Ancient Zoidian"**

**********************************************

001's organoid flew as fast as he could. It was a little after two in the afternoon and the desert was starting to become unbearable. They had fled the facility about five hours ago and had completely lost the Republicans that were tailing them. The only reason why the organoid didn't stop was because he was looking for a place to land safely, preferably an oasis. He didn't want his hatchling to become dehydrated!

Finally, after another hour of flying, the organoid found a small patch of green in the sea of reddish golden sand. Circling it once, he descended into the small oasis and looked around. There was a small pool of fresh water and the trees kept the area relatively cool. The trees also held some fruits as well…he hoped they were edible, he didn't want his hatchling to get sick from them. Deciding that the oasis was safe enough he opened his chest plates and gently set his hatchling down, nudging his shoulder and cooing softly.

001 blinked a couple of times to adjust his eyes to the bright light. After he felt his organoid nudge him he turned around to face him, letting his hood fall down. He looked up at his black organoid with a confused expression on his face. After he had been released from the organoid two names had instantly popped into his head, but that was it. Two names…so…which name was his?

_/…What's wrong hatchling? \_

"Our names… When you released me…our names came to me but that was it. I was just trying to figure out which name belongs to whom."

_/…Hatchling…I will be happy with either name.\_

"Even so… I would still like to think about it."

_/ I'm sure that you will name us correctly. Why don't you go and drink some water while I gather some food? I know that you haven't had anything since early this morning…\_

"…Okay then."

While his organoid lightly took wing to reach some of the 'hopefully edible' fruit, 001 went to the water's edge and peered at his reflection. As he expected his reflection stared back at him. He really wasn't interested in his appearance right now, even though he had wondered on numerous occasions; he was too busy trying to decide which name belonged to him and which name belonged to his organoid. They were both similar…he could easily just pick which ever he liked and be done with it but…something was nagging at him from the back of his mind. Something that told him to really think this through.

He looked back to his organoid. He wasn't having very much luck with the fruits as they would burst every time he tried to pull them off. 001 could tell that he was starting to become frustrated. He had blocked his mind so his hatchling wouldn't be able to hear his fierce words at the fruits.

As he watched his organoid get stickier and stickier a small smile came to his face. He had decided. The name just seemed to fit his organoid it was a wonder why he even had to think about it. It was most likely the shock of actually remembering something.

Though, that did bring up another question. That old man…Dr. D, was telling the evil blonde or E.B., as 001 referred to him, that if he were to fuse with his organoid all of his memories would come back. But they didn't. Just their names came to him and even then they were fuzzy. Was it possible that they came back gradually after they had fused? Or…did the experiments that the Republicans performed on them erase their memories altogether?

His shoulders slumped a little. The second one. He had a strong gut feeling that they had some how erased all of his and his organoid's memories. Whether it was intentional or not they were still responsible.

His spirit lifted a little when he thought about the black organoid. Even though their memories were completely erased, the black organoid still called him 'his hatchling'. There was a bond between them that just couldn't be broken.

He really wanted to just call out his organoid's name to keep him from getting any angrier, but, before he could do so, a loud noise caught his attention. His organoid must have heard it too because in an instant he was beside 001's side. A low, feral growl came from the black organoid as his attention focused to where he had heard the noise. They waited anxiously for whatever had made the noise to come out but it never did.

"You don't think that it's them again…do you?"

_/…Somehow, I doubt that it's the Republicans. It could have possibly been a rogue zoid [1] ambushing an unsuspecting traveler.\_

"I guess a rogue is better then the Republicans finding us…"

_/…Only slightly better…\_

001 nodded his head at that statement. Rogues could be very aggressive. They more than likely attack without any provocation and wouldn't stop their assault until they had either destroyed what they were attacking or became too damaged to move.

He was brought out of his musings by his organoid who nudged him on his back wanting attention. He smiled softly and patted his organoid's muzzle only to find it very, very sticky.

_/ What's wrong? Why'd you stop? \ _His organoid whined.

A small giggle, "You're sticky."

His organoid mentally sighed. He had forgotten about that when he thought that his hatchling could have been in danger.

_/ I'll get myself cleaned up and I'll let you pick the fruit this time. …Hatchling? \_

"Hmm? What is it?"

_/ Have you decided about the names yet? \_

"Yep! I think it was just the fact that I actually remembered something was what startled me."

_/ …I guess I would be surprised too, considering I can't remember anything…\_

"Yeah…me neither. I think the Republicans erased our memories…"

_/ Let's not think about the past. What's done is done.\ _

001 nodded his head sadly. Gone. They were all gone, but they would be just fine. Dr. D had taught him a couple of things during pervious checkups when the E.B. wasn't around. He had quickly picked up the foreign language, foreign to him at least, and had taught it to his organoid. He knew a little bit of the terrain when Dr. D had smuggled in a map to show him, also mentally shown to his organoid. The only thing he didn't quite understand yet was this thing called 'money' [2]. Apparently it's very important for that's basically all the soldiers talked about besides the Imperials.

That's another thing to think about. The Imperials. The other people he would rather not run into. He didn't want to fight in this war. The Republicans just saw him and his organoid as tools and he was pretty sure that the Imperials would just think the same thing. He heard the soldier's talk about how the Imperials were also looking for organoids…

*Splash!*

001 looked over to his organoid. He was cleaning himself off in the small pool and had slipped on some of the rocks. He was roaring loudly due to the surprise of slipping.

"You really should be more careful," he teased.

"Skriii! [3]"

"H-Huh!? Wh-What's g-goin' on!?"

The ground beneath 001 was moving violently, making him tumble off the moving heap of sand.

"Ouch…" He said as he sat up and rubbed the back of his head.

"Skriii!"

He immediately looked up to see a guyzak looming over him and drawing closer.

{So…you're the one I felt…}

'_What the? Wh-Who just spoke to me?'_

{Why don't cha come here little zoidian? With your power…I'll become much more powerful…}

'_My…power? What in the world?'_

001 scrambled backwards as the guyzak got closer. Right before the scorpion-like zoid could grab him in its claws a black blur rammed into the guyzak's side, causing him to halt his advance on 001. The guyzak then turned his attention to the black organoid.

{You stay outta this organoid! This zoidian is mine! I will not let you absorb him!}

_/ Absorb him!? He is __MY __hatchling! I will protect him from anything! Including you! \_

001 watched as his organoid fought off the rogue guyzak. His body had gone numb after hearing what the guyzak had said.

'_What does he mean 'absorb me'? I…I don't…I just don't get it…'_

Suddenly a loud crash made 001 refocus on the fight. The guyzak had thrown his organoid against a big boulder. 001 couldn't see if any damage was done because the guyzak was blocking his view.

_/ Hatchling! Get yourself to safety! I'll distract him for as long as I can! \_

'_B-But!'_

_/ No buts! Just go! NOW!! \_

He watched as his organoid got back up and proceeded to keep the guyzak at bay. 001's body finally caught up to what his brain was telling him to do. Run. He got a few paces before the guyzak fired at him, preventing him from getting anywhere. Luckily he wasn't hit, unluckily though was the fact that he brought the guyzak's attention back to him.

{You can't run from me little zoidian. And just to make sure you can't…}

The next thing 001 knew all of the wind had been knocked out of him. His organoid just couldn't reach him in time to keep him from getting hurt. 001 skid across the sandy ground a few feet before coming to a stop near the water's edge. His organoid nudged him, trying to get a response out of him.

_/ Hatchling, please answer me!! \_

Nothing. 001 had been knocked unconscious, which was a little comfort in of itself. He wasn't dead, that was good, but his organoid had no idea how hurt he was, if at all.

{Give it up organoid. I will take him from you and use him how I see fit!}

BKO ran through his options quickly. The guyzak was closing in and if he batted him out of the way he would reach his hatchling and 'absorb' him? He still didn't know what that meant but he knew it wasn't good.

_/ 'I can't fuse with him. He'll just drain my remaining energy then eject me out. I can't fight him head on either. He might get between us… We'll have to flee. It's our only option right now…' \_

Reluctantly he took his eyes off the guyzak and opened his chest plates. The cords came whizzing out and secured 001. The plates closed when his hatchling had been pulled inside of him and he pulled out his wings to take off.

The guyzak was having none of it. He skriiied angrily and proceeded to try and capture BKO in his claws or to hit him back down to the ground, for the organoid couldn't get high enough to effectively escape; not with the guyzak shooting at him and brandishing his claws at him whenever he made an attempt at it. The guyzak was also pushing him back further and further near a small plateau wall that was looming into view.

_/'He's trying to trap me. I can't take to the air, he'll just hit me down, and he blocks me whenever I try to go around him. There's not very much room for me to maneuver around, but the same goes for him. …Now…how do I use that to my advantage?'\_

It was true. He was flying low to the ground to avoid being swat at and he had to keep dodging trees and boulders as they became more numerous.

*SWOOSH!!*

BKO looked back to see what was making that whistling sound and saw one large guyzak claw coming down on him. A sickening crash was heard through out the small oasis forest. The guyzak had hit his mark, sending BKO crashing through a couple of trees before coming to a stop. With his energy all but depleted from trying to keep his hatchling from suffering any damage he had to relinquish his hold on 001. He just couldn't stay fused any longer. His chest plates once again opened and 001 fell out. BKO was exhausted, but he wasn't going to just watch helplessly as the guyzak did whatever to his hatchling. He forced himself to his feet and stood protectively between his hatchling and the advancing guyzak.

{Useless. You can barely stand organoid, let alone protect him.} A quick swipe of the guyzak's claw sent the black organoid flying a few feet more away from 001, leaving him defenseless. The guyzak proceeded to get close enough to pick up the unconscious boy in his claw and he was none to gentle about it either.

{The organoid is out of commission…for now. I have the zoidian but…how can I absorb him?} The guyzak continued to ponder this, unaware of the slight movements from 001, stirring back into the realm of consciousness.

'_Ohh…my chest…hurts… Why's it…so hard to breathe…?' _He wearily opened his eyes and saw the blurred image of the guyzak. He looked down to his torso and saw that he had been captured and that the guyzak was starting to crush him.

{Seems that you've finally come around. This might make things a bit easier…}

"M-Make what eas-easier…?" he wheezed out. The guyzak really was crushing him!

{Absorbing you of course. It seems that you don't have to be willing to do so…just conscious…} the guyzak sneered.

The next thing 001 knew his body was in agonizing pain. It felt like someone was tearing his body to shreds with jagged knives from the outside, while inside it felt as if his body had caught on fire. The two different pains overloading his brain made him want to scream…if he could. The guyzak's hold on him was threatening to break his body in half so breathing was already a struggle. The best that he could manage was to shut his eyes tight and grit his teeth, praying that something would stop this torture.

{So much! There's just so much…!?}

So much 'what' 001 never found out. He was abruptly released and dropped to the ground, adding to his already pain-ridden body. The next thing he heard was the ear-shattering sound of metal against metal. He wanted to know what was going on. It definitely didn't sound like his organoid so he concluded that it was another zoid. Another zoid that wanted to 'absorb' him, just like the guyzak.

His breathing was still a little labored, most likely caused by a broken rib or two, but he had enough strength to open his eyes and flip himself onto his side to see what in the world was going on. Only there was a slight problem… The new zoid that had come had just finished the guyzak off and the dust was just now starting to settle.

A slight movement off to his left caught his attention. It was his organoid. He tried to mentally reach him, but his brain was still on overdrive dealing with the now dulling pain that he just couldn't manage it. Another movement, this time right in front of him. It was the new zoid, but all the dust made its shape hard to distinguish. He could tell though that this zoid was four-legged.

'_Great…this new zoid will have no problem picking up where the guyzak left off…' _He managed to push himself up and shakily stood. He was going to face this new zoid with his head held high, not as a weak little zoidian, as the guyzak had made him felt. The dust settled revealing the new comer.

It was a wolf-type zoid, but not any that 001 had seen, courtesy of Dr. D's constant smuggling of things to his room. This wolf-type zoid had pure white armor that looked as if it was sculpted out of snow. Its eyes were a breathtaking emerald green while its gear caps looked as if they were made out of pale rubies. However, to 001, the claws are what caught his eye and held his attention for a minuet before his eyes darted back to the emerald green of the wolf zoid. The claws also looked like they were fashioned out of a rare gem, opal to be exact. They were a milky white but when the sun reflected off of them a multitude of different colors was displayed.

He watched warily as the wolf zoid approached him. It was taking slow, cautious steps as if it was afraid it would make him bolt. It stopped a few feet from him and he watched nervously as it lowered its head to get a better look at him. A low, soft growl emanated from it, almost as if it was trying to calm him down.

{Aren't you a cute little one!?}

Double blink. He was not expecting that! Being tossed around and hurt again, yes, he was fully expecting that, but being called 'cute' by a female wolf-type zoid…not so much.

{What's the matter sugar? Are you gonna be alright?}

Sugar!? That sounded like a pet name to him. He already had 'hatchling', which he didn't mind so much, but he knew that his organoid would call him that even as he got older. If the wolf zoid kept on calling him 'sugar' then he knew he would be stuck with another pet name.

Strangely though, this zoid didn't feel hostile like the guyzak had. He felt a sense of peacefulness coming from her. It was like this zoid wasn't interested in him for the same reason the guyzak had been but…for something different altogether.

"You…aren't going to absorb me?"

{Absorb you!? Now why would I want to absorb a cute little thing like you sugar?}

A slight eyebrow twitch. There it was again. It was official; the wolf zoid would forever call him 'sugar'.

"Then…why did you…save me?"

{I just couldn't let that monster have his way. Normally I could care less about something like that, but, for some reason, I got extremely angry when I saw him starting to absorb you sugar. I don't know why, but I felt compelled to protect you.}

He was so confused. In a matter of fifteen minuets he had been confronted by a power-crazed zoid who basically wanted to eat him and a strange wolf-type zoid that wanted to protect him. So are most of the zoids that he is more than likely going to confront going to try to 'absorb' him or just leave him alone? He will have to be more cautious around other zoids from now on. He didn't want a repeat like with the guyzak.

He felt that he could trust this wolf zoid. If she really wanted to 'absorb' him she would have done so by now instead of talking to him and calling him 'sugar'. He was pretty sure that zoids didn't give pet names to something they were about to eat.

The sound of metallic footsteps made him turn his head to look at his organoid. There were a few shallow gashes but nothing too serious. His organoid made his way over to him and gently nudged him, already aware of his injuries.

_/ You alright hatchling? \_

"I've been better, but I'll be fine."

His organoid was totally at peace with the wolf zoid. It was most likely the only reason the guyzak had been able to sneak up from under them was because they had let their guard down and were enjoying their new found freedom. They'd have to be more careful from now on.

_/ I must thank you for protecting him.\_

{Don't you worry about it. I just couldn't let that monster hurt him any more than he already had. …By the way…Sugar? Do you have a zoid to pilot?}

"No…why?"

{I would like for you to pilot me then. I've yet to find the right pilot for me, but I believe that you're the one that I've been looking for.}

001 thought about it for a moment. He liked the idea. He felt safe with this zoid, just as he felt safe with his organoid. He could tell that if he somehow got into trouble she would be right there to help him get out of it. His organoid also seemed to like her. It looked like he was all for the idea too.

"Okay then. If you're sure about it. What…do I call you?"

{My name's Aurora. What're your names, sugar?}

"My organoid's name is Shadow. My name is…Raven."

**************************************

[1]: Rogue zoid: I decided to kinda take a leaf out of the manga for this idea. The manga talks about there being wild zoids but I'm assuming that the zoids usually don't have any weapons and are a little aggressive. In this fic rogue zoids will be a much nastier version of the wild zoids as they usually do have fully loaded weapons from attacking travelers and are much more aggressive. I hope this little explanation helps.

[2]: Money: I know what money is and you know what money is so why do I have a little A/N beside it? In the anime they use two different terms. In the episode after Van gets the Blade Liger they use "gold from the Republic". In the episode titled _Run Wolf_ they use something called a kurplunk? gurplunk? I don't know how it's spelled or even if I'm trying to pronounce it right but the point is they use two different currencies. My question is should I use the two different currencies or should I just make something up and have a unified currency? Please tell me what you think I should do because I've not a clue ^-^'

[3]: Skriii: This is the sound that the guyzaks make. If you don't believe me then either a) listen very closely to the anime or b) buy the first volume of the zoid manga and turn to page 11.

_**Author's Note: **_Didn't see that one comin' now didja? Who'd of thought that our sweet little 001 was Raven? Now, I've seen a lot of fics that have him as either a human or part-zoidian and I'm pretty sure I'm not the first to try to make him a pure blooded zoidian, but I really liked the idea when I was putting my story together. Now before you start telling me I'm making him OOC or will be making him OOC you have to remember that right now he's seven and has just came out of his stasis capsule. I'm doing my best to give him reasons to dislike zoids and seem like an enigma to people. You'll just have to trust me on this and if he does seem like he's a little OOC…tough. Nobody's perfect. That's it for now. Hopefully the next chapter will be up soon like within the next week or so. Please Review and tell me what you thought about it!!


	3. Run in With the Republicans

_**Disclaimer:**__ I do not own Zoids. Never have never will, though I wish I did. -_-_

_**Disclaimer2:**__ Aurora does NOT belong to me. She belongs to __**ShadowRebirth37**__. SR37 has kindly let me borrow her for my fic._

_**Author's Note: **_I know what you all are saying. 'OMG!!! She finally updated!!' \o/ As with the previous chapter I've put in a new element for you all to ponder about. Just as a warning there are only two more chapters left with him a child. This chapter and the next. Then there will be a time skip of about…5 years, two years before Chaotic Century.

_**Story Guide:**_

"Talking" _'Thoughts'_ _/Organoid Speech\_

{Zoid Speech} Emphasis **"Ancient Zoidian"** :Com-Link:

*********************

_/ Hold still hatchling… You're making this harder than it needs to be…\_ Shadow growled. He was doing his best to wrap up Raven's torso where his ribs were broken, but the boy just wouldn't sit still.

"But it hurts when you touch it."

_/ I know it does, but if you don't let me do this it'll hurt even worse.\_

Raven sighed, defeated. He knew that Shadow was right, but it really hurt. It didn't help that it wasn't proper medical tape either. Shadow was using some spare cloth that Aurora had in her storage compartment from the last person that had tried to pilot her. Some of his other belongings were in there as well, but those would have to wait until later to be deemed useful or not.

A few minutes later and Shadow was finally done treating Raven's wounds.

_/ Alright…you're done. Just try not to do anything that'll cause it to fall apart. It's not as tight as it needs to be, but it'll have to due for now.\_

"Alright. …Hey Shadow?" he asked as he put his shirt back on.

_/ Hmm? What is it?\_

"Do you think you could take me up to the tree tops? We never did get the chance to eat anything."

_/ Of course. Just be careful that you don't fall off.\ _Shadow said as he lowered himself so that Raven could climb onto his back and sit just behind his wing protrusions. Raven had to hold onto his neck when Shadow stood up and pulled his wings out but after he got up into the air and had made himself parallel to the ground, Raven let go so he could gather some fruit. After he had gathered as much as he could hold, Shadow landed and let him off.

"Hmm… I wonder where Aurora went…" Raven pondered as he picked out a piece of fruit he wanted to eat.

_/ She said that she wanted to make sure that there weren't any other zoids in the area. I think she's also making sure that there aren't any Republican bases nearby…\_

"I wish she'd get back soon. The sun's goin' down and we don't have any means to keep warm," he said as he took a bite out of the fruit he had and then made a disgusted face at it as he swallowed. Shadow started to panic.

_/ What's wrong with it!? It's not bad is it!?\ _

"No… It's too…sweet."

_/ Too sweet? …Even so it's the only food that we have at the moment. You'll just have to make due for now.\_

"I know. We really can't complain. …Perhaps…"

_/ What is it hatchling?\ _

"Perhaps Aurora will be able to answer some of our questions. If not she'll at least be able to help us make decisions."

_/ I'm sure she'll be able to answer some of our questions. She's been active longer than we have so…she must know a little about the human's mind set.\_

Raven nodded at that. They needed to understand this society as soon as possible to fit in a little better. He was sure that the general population had never seen an organoid before…that would draw unwanted attention.

Grimacing as he took another bite of the fruit, Raven watched as Shadow's head snapped up and glared at an approaching object coming from the east. Shadow moved Raven behind him hoping that it was just Aurora returning. A few minutes later and the disappearing sun's rays reflected off the approaching object revealing a multitude of different colors. Shadow sighed, relieved. It was Aurora and judging by her leisurely stroll back to them, there were no other zoids around and no Republican bases nearby.

"Glad to see you're back safely Aurora. I take it that we're safe here?"

{That's right Sugar. My scanners didn't pick up anything near here. There's nothin' but sand for the next thirty miles.}

_/ That's good. After what happened earlier today we need a rest.\_

"Hey Aurora… Can I see what else you have in your storage compartment?"

{Sure. No need to be so shy about it.}

Aurora laid down and opened her cockpit hatch up for Raven. Shadow fussed as Raven climbed up into it.

"Oh Shadow, I'm alright. I know not to over do it."

_/ I wonder sometimes…\_

Raven opened the storage compartment and rummaged through it. …Clothes…old, tattered and would never fit his frame even in a couple of years, but until he could get new clothes he'd keep them. Blankets…there were three of them, all in good condition. Next to the blankets was a sleeping bag, also in good condition. No pillow…he'd just have to improvise. The next thing that caught his attention was a sheathed dagger. He unsheathed it to make sure it wasn't rusty. It was still sharp and it looked like it had never been used, he'd have to change that. Putting the dagger away, Raven moved onto the next item, or should he say items. Three canteens all empty but not for long. There was also a tool box with all the things he would need to repair Aurora if need be. The last thing that was in the storage compartment was a small leather pouch. He untied the purse strings and took out what was inside. He held a small gold coin in his hand; he guessed that this is what the soldiers were calling money. He put it back and returned the pouch to the compartment.

"Hey Shadow?"

_/ Hmm? What is it hatchling?\_

"There's nothing in here for me to start a fire with. Do you think it would be best if I just slept in Aurora's cockpit?"

_/ Yes. Some rogue zoid might sense us and you'd be safer in there than out here.\_

{Even though you're so young you sure do know what to do out here Sugar.}

"Actually Aurora…this is my first time outside."

{First time outside? What do you mean by that Sugar?}

Raven told Aurora everything that had happened to Shadow and him. All the tests that the Republicans had performed, all of the experiments, and all of the pain that had been inflicted. Aurora was silent through out all of it. From what she gathered they had only been awake for about two years and were immediately experimented on.

{Sugar? Do you know what kinds of experiments that they performed?}

"Uhmm…most were for zoid piloting. I was awake for those, but there were a few that they…sedated me for. I think I was operated on once too, but I'm not sure. Shadow doesn't know either 'cause he was sedated when I was…"

{That's…troubling. Well, you needn't worry any more Sugar. I'll make sure neither the Republicans nor the Imperials get you. And if any rogue zoid thinks about harming you again, they have another thing coming.}

A small smile formed on Raven's lips. She meant every word…neither her nor Shadow would let harm come to him. He'd have to do his part to make sure that they didn't get hurt either.

Raven pulled out one of the warmer blankets and sat in the pilot's seat. Aurora's hatch was still open so when he was able to see the night sky clearly.

"…Hey Aurora…? Those are called 'stars' right?" he asked pointing to the sky.

{Yes, they are. People use to use them for guidance when traveling at night.}

"They're different than what I had imagined. Can you tell me what you know about them?"

{Sure. It's no problem Sugar.}

Aurora then spent most of the night telling Raven all about the stars. Shadow had already fallen asleep by the time she had finished.

{Get some rest Sugar. We'll be moving out of here sometime tomorrow morning.}

"…Alright. G'night Aurora."

The rest of the night went by quietly, but unbeknownst to them…something had picked up on their location.

~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x—Temporary Republican Base

'_How? How could this have happened!? Both of them were under heavy security! How could they have possibly escaped!?' _Herman was at a loss. His Command Wolf squad, Ptera unit and Shield Liger squad hadn't been able to locate ZOH-001 and its organoid BKO-03. It had been about eleven hours since they had escaped and by now they could be any where. The President wouldn't be happy to hear about this, especially not after learning that Dr. D was retiring.

"Captain Herman sir! The second Ptera unit has just returned! Lieutenant O'Connell reporting!"

Herman groaned. He didn't need to hear that they couldn't find the blasted zoidian either.

"Captain Herman…we've located ZOH-001 and BKO-03."

"You've located them!?" Herman yelled. "Where!?"

"Sir! They're fifty miles to the south of here. However, it seems that they are not alone. Sensors have picked up a zoid with them. The organoid must have commandeered it."

"What's the zoid type?"

"Sensors show that it is a wolf type zoid."

"They commandeered a Command Wolf? It must be for protection. We'll have to proceed carefully. 001 can easily annihilate our whole force if it wants to, however, we must capture it before it moves again. We need to strike at dawn. O'Connell! Call Captain Ford over. We need to come up with a solid battle plan to combat against 001."

"Yes sir!"

~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x --- Morning at Raven's camp

Raven woke up just as the sun was starting to peak over the horizon. Shadow and Aurora were still sleeping as he rummaged around Aurora's storage compartment again. He folded the blanket back up and had taken out the canteens and dagger. Might as well get some chores done so they could leave earlier. He made his way carefully out of Aurora's cockpit, he didn't want to cause any more damage to his broken ribs. Raven had only taken a few steps from Aurora when he heard a soft growl.

_/ And what are you doing up so early hatchling?\_

"Just cleaning up and getting some chores done." Raven answered as he walked over to the water's edge. He uncapped the canteens and filled them all, recapping when he was finished, and then went to cleaning up himself. He looked at his reflection when he was done and thought for a moment.

'_I'm not ZOH-001 anymore. I can't change my features but I can…'_

He unsheathed the dagger that was by his side and examined the blade. Shadow was busy keeping watch and Aurora was just now waking up. He gathered his long hair in his fist and pulled the dagger through it. He looked back to his reflection as he put the dagger in between the cloth he was using to keep his shirt from blowing in the wind. He narrowed his eyes at his new appearance. It may have been a trivial thing to most people, but he felt that 001 was now truly dead and Raven had been born.

{Sugar! What'd you d to your hair!?}

Raven turned to look at Aurora.

"I cut it. I'm no longer the republican's secret weapon. I'm not ZOH-001 anymore."

Shadow came over and ruffled his hair with his muzzle.

_/ It suits you hatchling. Now come on. Let's gather the fruit and store it in Aurora. It's time we left. It wouldn't do us any good to get ourselves captured.\_

Raven threw a disgusted look at the small pile of fruit that was near Aurora's front right paw. He hated the taste of them. He would personally rather eat sand, but he knew Shadow would flip if he said that. Aurora saw his disgusted look when Shadow had turned his back to keep a look out.

{Now, now Sugar. You'll only have to eat them until we restock in a village.} Aurora growled softly, so only Raven could hear her.

"…That's not soon enough." He replied as he gathered the fruit and climbed back into Aurora's cockpit.

{Looks like it's time for us to go.} Aurora growled as she strapped Raven in. As soon as she closed the hatch she was hit by a missile. Aurora roared in pain and Raven hit his head against the side of his seat from the shock of the missile.

_/ Hatchling! It's the Republican Army! They must have located us last night. Prepare for combat!\_

'_Shadow! Take the ones that are coming from the north! We'll take the ones coming from the south!'_

_/ Understood hatchling.\_

'_Alright Aurora. Let's show them the monster that they've created.' _Raven thought with a confident smirk. This is what they wanted him to do. He took one quick glance at Shadow before he took off to destroy his half of the Republican forces. He easily maneuvered Aurora around their fire, taking out any units that were unfortunate enough to be in his way.

As he mauled his way through a squadron of Command Wolves a command option appeared from Aurora.

"Aurora Strike Laser Claw? …So long as it destroys them it's fine with me Aurora."

A low rumble of confirmation as Aurora's left front claw started to glow like the northern lights. She swiped her paw at an attacking Godos, crushing the cockpit. Raven flinched a little. So far he had tried to avoid killing anyone, even though he knew what the Republicans thought of him. He guessed that…he just wanted to prove them wrong.

{Did you not want to kill them Sugar?}

'_I've never killed before…'_

{Sugar…so long as they're after you, you must always be ready to kill.}

'…_You're right. None of them would ever show me mercy…'_ He strengthened his resolve. They had said it themselves. When he had outlived his usefulness they would destroy him. Showing them mercy…what was he thinking!? Raven hardened his heart and started his attack anew, more vicious than before.

_/ Hatchling above you!\_

Raven looked up and dodged just as a Ptera squadron fired their missiles.

'_Thanks Shadow. How are things going on your end?'_

_/ They're dwindling down slowly. Reinforcements have finally stopped arriving from the north. And you hatchling?\_

'…_Same here. Reinforcements have finally stopped coming in.'_

{Don't worry Sugar. We'll show them what happens when they decide to mess with us.}

' _Alright enough talk. Let's finish this and get outta here before they can radio in more troops.'_

_/ Understood.\_

{Alrighty Sugar.}

Raven checked his ammo supply. Aurora had missile pod clusters on her shoulder, but no missiles. He had a few shots left in her sniper rifles, but not enough to get rid of all the Pteras. He'd shoot down what he could and then improvise from there. He let Aurora take over mauling incoming units while he took aim to take out the Pteras buzzing by. Whatever experimentations that they did to him when he was sedated were paying off. Even with Aurora being shot at and being rocked and shook, he was still piercing right through the zoid's cockpits, killing the pilots.

The battle raged on for another two hours. The entire Ptera squadron had been taken care of by Shadow when he commandeered one and most of the other zoid squadrons and battalions were destroyed. They had about three battalions left between the two of them. Shadow had a battalion of Godos and half a battalion of Command Wolves, while he had a battalion and a half of Shield Ligers. Both Shadow and Aurora had some damage to them but he would be able to repair them. He faintly registered Shadow starting his attack again. Just as was about to start his melee, one Shield Liger stepped forward from the others. A beeping noise brought his attention to an incoming vid-link. He couldn't let them see his new appearance!

' _Aurora! Disable the vid-link! I can't let them see me as Raven!'_

{No problem Sugar. …There we go. Vid-link's been disabled but the com-link is still operational.}

_Thanks Aurora.'_

{It was my pleasure Sugar.}

:001. This is Captain Rob Herman. If you surrender now we will over look this transgression and pass it off as a training exercise. Lower your zoid and come out slowly.:

{Oh pulleezee. I'm not about to hand over my pilot. Sugar, why don't you tell him your answer?}

'_With pleasure Aurora.'_

:Jk. E zkj'p xahkjc pk ukq wju hkjcan. (**No. I don't belong to you any longer.**):

:001! In English! I know you can speak it fluently!:

:Uao, xqp jkp bkn ukq. Wqnknq…hap'o odks Ywlpwej Daniwj iu wjosan… (**Yes, but not for you. Aurora…let's show Captain Herman my answer…**):

{Finished flustering him already Sugar?}

'_No. There's no point in saying anything else to him. I'm just gonna anger him in…different ways.' _Raven said mentally to Aurora as he flipped off the com-link, right when Herman was about to say something else to him.

Raven lunged Aurora forward quickly, surprising Herman and the rest of his troops. They quickly formed into formation and started their own attack. Raven plowed through them as if they were made out of paper. Twenty minutes later and only half a battalion was left. Raven heard Aurora's cooling fan kick into gear to start cooling off her systems.

{There's fifteen zoids left here. Shadow has about twelve.}

'_We're almost done with them. If we can take out Herman there's a good possibility that the rest will vacate the area.'_

{And if not?}

'_Then we'll take them out as we have been.'_

{Very well then. I guess that there isn't any sense to let them go so then they can regroup and try again.}

'_Then let's finish this.'_

Raven charged Aurora forward again, aiming for Herman when some of the other Shield Ligers intercepted him.

"Cnnn… E'i jkp ej pda ikkz pk zawh sepd ukq." (**Grrr… I'm not in the mood to deal with you.**) Raven said in the zoidian language in case they were listening to him. He quickly dealt with them and continued on his war path towards Herman. The rest of the Shield Ligers, save for Herman, tried to intercept him again.

"E owez cap kqppw iu swu!" (**I said get outta my way!**) Raven yelled as he rampaged through the remaining forces. Aurora was just as angry as he was. She just couldn't understand why they would go through this much trouble just to capture him.

_{'What on Zi have they done to him to make them fight this much just to retrieve him?'}_

Finally, only Herman was left in front of him. Shadow still had three zoids to take of. Raven's com-link light was blinking. Herman wanted to talk to him again.

{Just humor him Sugar.}

'_If you say so…'_

Raven turned the com-link back on and waited for Herman to say something.

:…001…if this was a training exercise or even the Imperial Army I'd be congratulating you but…as neither is the case…I will do anything to stop you!:

'_He stopped me just to tell me that?'_

:Pdaj opkl ia.: (**Then stop me.**) Raven said as he again turned off his com-link. He saw Shadow flying over head of him, finished with his destruction. Herman noticed this and chanced a look behind Raven to see the destruction first hand. He was momentarily stunned as he looked at all the carnage that Raven and Shadow had caused.

Raven took this opportunity to strike at Herman with Aurora's special Strike Laser Claw quickly followed by an Electron Fang attack as Herman's Shield Liger reeled. Herman's zoid had it's systems frozen from that attack. Now how was he to stop 001 if he couldn't even comprehend how he received his command system freeze?

Raven narrowed his eyes at Herman's cockpit; however, he didn't do anything. He turned Aurora and started off in the southwestern direction. This confused Herman as well as Shadow and Aurora.

_/ Hatchling are you sure? He'll only come after you aga--\_

'_Let him. It will be the same result every time.'_

_/…Then we must keep our training up. We don't want any more surprises.\_

{Agreed. This will be the outcome every ti--!}

Aurora's shoulder was hit again by a missile causing her head to slam into the ground and her hatch to fly open. Aurora's safety harness had cut deeply into Raven's skin causing bruising from the whiplash.

_/ Hatchling! Aurora! Are you alright!?\_

{I'm fine Shadow, but Herman won't be as soon as I get my fangs on him!}

'…'

_/ Hatchling! What's wrong!?\_

'_I…I don't know… I feel…different…'_

Raven unlatched the safety harness and jumped to the ground.

_/Hatchling!\_

{Sugar! What're you doing!?}

"AHHH!!!" It was a scream of shock and surprise. Black tendrils twirled around his body forming something. Shadow tried to get Raven away from the tendrils but he couldn't even get close to them. He watched as the tendrils formed a weird black head gear, a strange shiny black armor and wings…with a garnet colored membrane. After the tendrils were done they disappeared and Raven fell backwards in shock. He could hear Herman's zoid approaching closer. Now he really couldn't get caught again.

'_Aurora! Can you still move!?'_

Aurora snapped out of her shock and answered. {Yes. Hurry and get in.}

Raven did as he was told and got in. It was a little difficult with his new…wings… He'd have to figure out how to get rid of this armor. Aurora snapped her hatch closed and fired at Herman's cockpit with her Tri-Shock Cannon. Herman was able to eject before the cockpit was destroyed. He watched as the white –Command Wolf?- ran off quickly. It would seem that they would need a more powerful zoid if they ever wanted to bring 001 back into custody.

*******************

_**Author's Note: **_*ducks incoming objects being thrown at her* I know…I left you all with a cliffie. Boooo… You'll live. All of you. ^-^ What's this strange armor that's on Raven? Where the hell did it come from? You'll find out…soon enough! Please review!! I worked hard on this!! It'd be nice to receive a little feed back!!


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